Usage note
无法表示没有办法。
wú fǎ biǎo shì méi yǒu bàn fǎ。
Unable means having no way to do something.
Context note
无法常用于书面语和正式表达。
wú fǎ cháng yòng yú shū miàn yǔ hé zhèng shì biǎo dá。
Unable often appears in written and formal language.
5 examples
我无法回答。
wǒ wú fǎ huí dá。
I am unable to answer.
现在无法过去。
xiàn zài wú fǎ guò qù。
It is impossible to go over now.
他无法参加。
tā wú fǎ cān jiā。
He is unable to attend.
无法决定。
wú fǎ jué dìng。
Unable to decide.
我们无法确定。
wǒ men wú fǎ què dìng。
We cannot be sure.
5 mini stories
因为下雨，我们无法出门。
yīn wèi xià yǔ， wǒ men wú fǎ chū mén。
Because of the rain, we were unable to go out.
他无法理解这个问题。
tā wú fǎ lǐ jiě zhè ge wèn tí。
He was unable to understand this problem.
没有钥匙，我无法进门。
méi yǒu yào shi， wǒ wú fǎ jìn mén。
Without the key, I cannot enter the door.
老师说我们无法偷懒。
lǎo shī shuō wǒ men wú fǎ tōu lǎn。
The teacher said we cannot be lazy.
他累得无法继续走。
tā lèi dé wú fǎ jì xù zǒu。
He was so tired he could not continue walking.
Mini dialogue
打不开门
A
你能打开这扇门吗？
Nǐ néng dǎkāi zhè shàn mén ma?
Can you open this door?
B
我无法打开，它卡住了。
Wǒ wúfǎ dǎkāi, tā qiǎ zhù le.
I am unable to open it; it's stuck.
听不懂
A
你明白老师的话吗？
Nǐ míngbai lǎoshī de huà ma?
Do you understand what the teacher said?
B
我无法理解，说得太快了。
Wǒ wúfǎ lǐjiě, shuō de tài kuài le.
I am unable to understand; it was spoken too fast.
Related words and contrasts
similar
不能
bù néng
cannot
不能 also expresses inability, but is more common in everyday speech.
opposite
可以
kě yǐ
can; may
可以 means 'can' or 'able to', the opposite of 无法.